KNOWN AS Ma Mouang in Thai or Mangifera Indicia Linn to those botanically minded, this luscious tropical fruit is now in season and many Thais will be salivating at the thought of indulging in this annual bounty.
Like chocolate, mangoes are a comfort food. Yellow, ripened fruit can satisfy taste-bud cravings and the rich, creamy texture feels good on the tongue. What's more, they are actually good for you and it's not often that one can indulge in a comfort food without watching the waistline or feeling pangs of guilt!
The mango is native to South East Asia (although there are now in excess of 1,000 species around the world) and many people suggest that mangoes from this region are best. Certainly no one is going to argue about Thailand's mangoes they are simply delicious. The mango tree is no mean specimen; it is evergreen and can reach a height of some 60 feet although many are "cropped" short of their maximum height in order to make harvesting more manageable. A mango tree will produce fruit some 4-6 years after planting and they require hot, dry weather in order to set and produce a good crop. Exactly the type of weather we have in Thailand during summer.
Ripe mangoes have a rich, fruity fragrance at the stem and will yield to gentle finger pressure. The colour will usually be yellow but there may also be tinges of red, orange or green. Thais love to eat them both ripened and unripened. A green, unripened mango peeled and sliced, is crunchy to the tooth, has a sour/sweet taste and, when dipped in a mixture of sugar, salt and chili gives a sparkling burst of flavour. The yellow, ripened variety may be peeled and eaten "as is" soft fleshed, packed with juice and sweetness with a creamy texture on the tongue. Thais love to eat Mango with Sticky Rice and many stallholders set up shop solely to prepare and sell this wholesome Thai dessert. Another favourite Thai dessert is Kao Niew Ma Muang, which is a combination of glutinous rice, sugar and coconut milk, with a serving of fresh, sun-yellow mango slices. With desserts like these diners may well forego a starter or main course!
Fortunately, mangoes are not only good to eat but also good for us. They contain an enzyme which soothes the stomach and are high in vitamins (A & C plus beta-carotene), antioxidants and minerals. Naturally high in fibre, a mango a day (during the season) will ensure that you're regular guys and gals! In fact, one mango will provide about 40% of the body's daily fibre requirement and will replace potassium lost through perspiration. An average size mango will deliver only 1 gram of fat and 110 calories so it's safe to have another one!
As you walk around the fruit and vegetable markets of Chiang Mai you will see an abundance of mangoes on display. So it's a perfect time to treat yourself and indulge. For those of us not counting calories then try a sundae of mango ice cream or a wedge of mango cheesecake. During summer season in Thailand mangoes maketh the moment so do take time out to enjoy this luscious, succulent, tropical fruit.
Lynchee is very exacting in its climactic and soil requirements. It prefers a rich, wet and acid soil for ideal growth, and requires cool winter air for bountiful flowering and fruiting, followed by a hot and humid season for good growth and fruit bearing. For these reasons, lynchee is grown almost exclusively in the northern provinces of Chiangmai, Chiangrai and Phayao, where these conditions are to be found. Some lynchee is grown in the Northeast when the conditions are right, and there is a heat-tolerant variety grown in Amphawa district of Samut Songkhram, west of Bangkok, but lynchee aficionados will tell you the northern type is the best by far. The three main varieties grown all originated in China, and have names reflective of their homeland: Hong Huay, Ow Hia and Gim Jeng. 
The thin, rumpled outer skin conceals a white, juicy, succulent pulp which surrounds a single shiny brown seed. Once the fruit has been picked, it must be marketed and eaten within four days if its full flavor is to be enjoyed. Surplus fruit may be canned or dried for future use, but nothing quite compares with the delicacy of taste and texture of the fresh fruit. The Chinese have long considered the lynchee to be a symbol of love and romance; a gift of ripe lynchee fruit was considered tantamount to a proposal of marriage. On a less romantic level, the delicious lynchee makes very good eating for the health conscious, since the fruit is high in natural sugars, and one fruit alone contains over 20% of the daily human Vitamin C requirement. 